Covino, Response to Senate Questions on Cohort Hiring

December 15, 2012

To: Academic Senate

From: William A. Covino, Provost

Re: Responses to November 19 Senate Questions on Cohort Hiring

1.What is the source of the funding for cohort hiring?

When I arrived in 2009, there was a “contingency fund” line in the Academic Affairs budget amounting to approximately $750,000. The source of this fund is not known to me or to AVP Nef; if was likely established by prior Provosts. This fund was used in part for the cohort faculty appointed in fall 2011 and fall 2012.

1a.Is all of the funding from benefits savings from faculty who have retired or left the University?

Sincebenefits are paid centrally on our campus,Academic Affairs does not normally realize savings from reduced benefits costs. The exception to this was in 2011-12, when approximately $1.4M in recurring funding was transferred to Academic Affairs from benefits pool savings. These savings became part of the Academic Affairs base budget. They were held in reserve in 2011-12 and $1M was allocated to faculty hiring in the 2012-13 budget.

1b.What is the amount of benefits savings in each of the last three years, and how much of that has gone to cohort hiring?

Benefits savings are addressed above. Charts provided in response to questions 3-6 indicate the amounts allocated to cohort and co-funded hiring.

1c.If there are allocations to cohorts form other sources, what are the allocations and what are the sources?

See above.

2.What is the current estimate of money from such benefits for the current academic year?

We do not anticipate receiving any further benefits funding in addition to what is Indicated above.

2a.What are the plans for the distribution of that money?

N/A

3-6.In 2009-10 and 2010-11, how many faculty positions were approved each year as cohort positions with 50% funding from the Provost’s Office? How many non-cohort positions were funded at 50% by the Provost’s Office for those years? What was the distribution among Schools/Colleges of the 50% funded positions for those two years? What was the amount of money that went to each School/College for those positions for those two years? Of the positions for which searches are now underway (searches approved in 2011-12 and for faculty to be hired for Fall 2013), how many are 50% funded through the Office of the Provost? How many of those positions are cohort hires, and how many are non-cohort hires? What is the distribution of those positions to Schools/Colleges? Assuming that the searches underway are all successful, what is the estimated amount of funding from the Provost’s Office which will go to each School/College?

A separate attachment consists of charts responding to these questions.

7.What was the amount of funding for faculty positions provided by the Provost’s Office in the three years prior to the start of cohort hiring (2006-7, 2007-8, 2008-9)?

We have no record of particular positions funded centrally during these years; however, individual School/College Deans may have received additional funding that was used to support faculty hiring but not designated as such. There are a number of allocations to Schools and Colleges from the Provost’s Office, established prior to 2009, that may be used to support faculty/staff costs, and which are not subject to Level B formula allocation. They include funding for Art Galleries, the Farm Laboratory, Agricultural Research, Writing Skills, the Writing Lab, ROTC, and the Marching Band, and total approximately $3M per year.

8.Is the 50% funding from the Provost’s Office for both cohort and non-cohort hires guaranteed for the entire Fresno State employment of each hire?

For all tenure-track hires, the hiring salary is permanent for the entire Fresno State employment of each individual. Any increases will be the responsibility of the School/College from its allocation, which will include a salary increase pool when such funding from the CSU System is available.

8a.If so, what are the projected amounts, given salary increases and promotions.

N/A. See above.

8b.How is that money figured into the budget of each College/School?

Under the new Level B allocation mechanism, the initial salary amount will be transferred to the School/College, for the duration of employment.

9.If the 50% funding is guaranteed from the Provost’s Office, what makes that guarantee possible?

The dollars used for this purpose are built into the recurring Academic Affairs budget, for distribution to the hiring Schools/Colleges. In other words, they are base dollars, rather than one-time dollars.

10.If the Provost’s Office funds an increasing number of positions each year at 50%, doesn’t that give the Provost direct control of an increasing amount of money each year.